1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to trash bag holders. More particularly, the present invention relates to trash bag holders that hold the trash bag open while the trash bag is in a horizontal orientation. More particularly, the present invention relates to trash bag holders that include arms that are foldable so as to extend in order to receive an open end of a trash bag therein.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 And 37 CFR 1.98.
In certain wooded regions of the country, autumn brings with it beautifully colored leaves which fall from the trees and accumulate on the ground. Often, home owners will, for either aesthetic or fire-prevention reasons, choose to rake up and remove the leaves from the lawns. Traditionally, the leaves have been raked into a large pile and then the homeowner repeatedly stoops over to pick up armfuls of leaves which are usually placed in a vertically-oriented trash receptacle, usually a bushel basket, a trash can, or a plastic trash bag which is held open by another person or biomechanical apparatus. This job becomes particularly difficult for someone with a large volume of leaves to remove or someone that has a bad back.
To address these problems, various devices have been created for raking leaves into a horizontally-oriented trash receptacle. However, a horizontally-oriented trash receptacle cannot be fully filled because the leaves tend to fall out of the vertical opening or mouth of the trash receptacle. In addition, once the leaves have been raked into the horizontally-oriented trash receptacle, the trash receptacle must be pulled up and placed into a vertical position in order to secure the opening in the trash receptacle to prevent the leaves from falling out. In order to accomplish this, the homeowner must bend over and squat down. This can result in back and leg strain. Another problem with these devices and their horizontally-oriented trash receptacles is that they tend to move along the ground as leaves are raked against them. Also, as the rake encounters these devices, the angle tips of the leaf rake's teeth tend to get caught between the ground and the device, causing the device to be pulled backward along the ground by the leaf rakes.
In the past, various patents have issued with respect to trash bag holding devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,888, issued on Feb. 1, 1972 to J. A. Ross, describes a foldable wire framework for supporting a plastic refuse bag in either a vertical or horizontal orientation. The bag holder includes top and bottom rectilinear frame members that are pivotally attached to a rectilinear upright. The top and bottom frame members fold, respectively, downwardly and upwardly flat against the backside of the upright member for convenient storage. The holder is adapted to support a plastic bag in such a manner that it can be laid on its side with the upright member upon the ground whereby the opening of the bags in a convenient position to receive leaves and debris that are swept into the opening. After the debris has been swept within the bag, the top frame functions as a handle in which to raise the entire holder in bag to a vertical position so as to allow the debris to fall to the bottom of the bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,441, issued on May 26, 1981 to H. M. Hirsch, shows a trash bag holder that comprises a bag-retaining frame and a handle that mounts on the frame after the bag has been inserted on the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,372, issued on Oct. 22, 1985 to R. S. Lutzker, shows a lawn bag holder that includes three tubular rods connected end-to-end by sections of flexible tubing forming a triangular frame onto which the edges of a lawn bag are secured in order to maintain the lawn bag in a wide open position. Elongated resilient clips are used to secure the lawn bag to the frame so as to maintain the lawn bag in a wide open position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,990, issued on Jun. 28, 1994 to D. A. Graves, provides a leaframp and bag holder device for assisting a person in raking leaves into a vertically-oriented trash container. The device includes a blunt-nosed ramp upon which the leaves are raked by using a conventional leaf rake. Once at the top of the ramp, the leaves fall by gravity through an opening provided in the device either into a trash bag previously secured to the opening by means of a lid portion or into a free-standing trash receptacle previously positioned under the device. Rear legs provided on the device have pointed lower ends to anchor the device to the ground and a foot rest is provided at the front of the device to hold the device against the ground while in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,030, issued on Dec. 28, 1999 to J. A. Judge, shows describes a trash bag holder and expanding form that is made from a sheet of stiff material that has at least three panels to hold the bag in an erect condition and to expand the opening of the bag into a shape that will allow the user to fill the bag with leaves or trash without having to hold the bag. The panels are separated by parallel, vertically-disposed score lines that act as fold lines or hinges between the panels of the holder. The panels are proportioned so that the sheet material can be folded flat with the panels lying against one another. When the device is folded into its operational configuration, the score lines act as corners such that the form is tubular or U-shaped with open ends and braces that hold the panels in an extended opposing relationship.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,461, issued on Sep. 17, 2002 to K. S. Lohmann, provides a trash bag holder for holding open and facilitating the filling of a trash bag with leaves, grass, debris or the like. The device is comprised of a frame including a top wall, a bottom wall, and at least one set of opposite side walls. An entry end and an exit end have a hollow interior area extending therebetween. The side walls are provided with holes therethrough proximate the entry end. The holes have corresponding slits. The frame is configured to receive, on its exit end, a specially-configured trash bag having two knots tied within the opening edge of the bag. The bag is placed upon the exterior of the exit end of the frame and pulled toward the entry and so that the knots of the bag line up with the holes of the side walls. The knots are pulled through the holes and retained in the corresponding slits such that the bag is securely retained on the frame which maintains the bag and a fully open position on the ground or floor surface so as to facilitate sweeping or raking of grass, leaves, garbage, and other debris into the bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,677,508, issued on Mar. 16, 2010 to A. Owens, teaches an easy-sweep trash bag holder for the easy pickup and removal of leaves on a ground surface. The bag holder is a self-standing frame that has a pair of adjustable legs to allow the back holder to stand upward by itself. An attached clip holds a garbage bag in place in an open position so that leaves may easily be swept or blown into the bag.
U.S. Application Publication No. 2008/0309038, published on Dec. 18, 2008 to J. Gilligan, shows a trash bag holder and transporter. A rim is provided with a frame. A foot peg pushes the end of the rim into the ground. An adjustable clamp assembly allows for the attaching of the trash bag positioned in the rim. An elongated strip of rigid material is attached from the rim to the wheel base to support the trash bag.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that allows trash bags to be maintained open when in a horizontal orientation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that facilitates the collection of leaves and other debris.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that allows a person that rake leaves and other debris into a trash bag without the need to hold the trash bag open with one hand.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is easily deployable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that folds compactly.
It is still further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that can be easily stored.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that operates in the manner of a dustpan.
It is still further object the present invention provide an apparatus that is easy to use, relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.